Apollo update coming to all Windows Phones? According to one Microsoft Evangelist, yes

While everyone is anxiously awaiting the Winodws Phone 8 aka Apollo update for Windows Phone, the twenty dollar question everyone is waiting for Microsoft to answer is "Will all Windows Phones be eligible?" A recent interview with a Microsoft Evangelist may shed some light on the subject.

The Portuguese mobile forum Zwame interviewed Evangelist Nuno Silva and in the above excerpt, Silva was asked if all current Windows Phone devices will receive the Apollo or Windows Phone 8 upgrade. His response, as translated by WMPU, was:

"What Microsoft said/stated and what I’m allowed to tell you is that all actual devices will get upgrade to the next major version of Windows Phone (we´re talking about Apollo)"

Silva would clarify "all actual devices" to mean:

"Are all that came out. Since the first generation that were bought. The LGs and SAMSUNGs.. OMNIA 7 which were the first devices with Windows Phone reaching the market."

So take it for what it's worth and while we have no reason to doubt Silva, it sure would be nice if the likes of Joe Belfiore would come out and confirm what Silva has offered. What do you guys and gals think? Will all Windows Phones from the Samsung Focus to the Nokia Lumia 900 get a taste of Apollo?

Update: We reached out Microsoft for a comment regarding this interview and while we weren't expecting a confirmation, we still wanted their statement. A Microsoft spokesperson did get back to us with this:

“We have stated publicly that all apps in our Marketplace today will run on the next version of Windows Phone. Beyond that, we have nothing to share about future releases.”

Microsoft should just confirm the plan for once and for all; this pathetic "will they/won't they" stance they are taking, is actually going to do them more harm in the short-term (and inevitably in the long-term if the platform isnt successful soon).

I don't think their gonna confirm it until they finish "Dogfooding" all the device first, they don't want to say they "will" then can't that would be 100x more frustrating cause that happened to me & other Palm Pre users & it made me personally boiling mad.

It said it will come out this summer to t-mobile and that Att has only 45 days priviledge for the Lumia 900. Rumor Only! I was talking to t-mobile customer rep and he said the Lumia 710 sold a lot and exceeded their expectations. He also said that he love his 710.

This is one big step for Microsoft. What's better, there not gonna leave their wp7 first generation users behind. All they need to do is advertise, advertise, and advertise. Look at the bb storm, the crappiest phone and sold millions.

Honestly, I didn't have doubts.
The oldest handsets are a year and a half old only, if Microsoft intends to fight Android on the field it must offer *at least* on-par support (well, considering that so many, even recent 2.3 Android handsets still haven't been updated to 4.0, I'd say that's already done with Mango), and honestly there is no reason why they wouldn't support 1st gen handsets for at least another major update, let alone newer phones like the Lumia 900 (I still can't believe people wonders whether the 900 will be upgradable to WP8).
Of course, some features won't make it to the older devices, but that's fair -- I think usability and fluidity should come first of anything.

Of course Microsoft is not making specific statements, I can understand why they don't want to release information before they have completely locked it and confirmed with the carriers.

I've got to be honest and say I'd be very surprised if we see Generation 1 handsets get a full Apollo upgrade. Apollo is going to allow for some very different hardware specs and it just may not be feasible to have a fully featured version of the OS running on older handsets. I think we'll see an upgrade of sorts but I just can't see the original handsets having the specs to handle some of the newer features. And if he's indeed referring to all currently available handsets, what about the lower end 256MB handsets currently being released. Aren't they even lower spec than some of the Gen.1 devices. I'd love to see it happen but I'm not holding out for a full update. That said I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever rolls out. I'm still rocking my Samsung Focus fully unlocked with a custom ROM and its still an awesome device!

I'm with you. They want front facing cameras in all WP7 (for Skype, natch) and 1st gen doesn't have it. Also there's no money made on upgrading my old phone. Who benefits but me? No one. Microsoft only does something if it makes them cashmoney. :)

I have to agree. I'd love to get Apollo on my Trophy but will understand if I don't or if it doesn't support the full functionality of the update. After the 8107 update I'm in love with the Verizon HTC Trophy all over again

If we are forced to rely on the carriers to provide the update, I am not convinced it will happen. I certainly hope my new Lumia 900 gets Apollo, but I will be eligible for an upgrade in November (2 years after I got my Focus) so I will have it either way.

What about those of us that already have been screwed by the manufacturer and they refusal to update the phone to fix the keyboard issue and since have no been told they are done with the phone all together.
If you can't figure it out, we are talking about the no good pieces of sh!t at Dell and the pile of coal the sold me called the Dell Venue Pro.
Are we just out of luck?

The other is that Apollo is the upgrade path for Mango devices to something analagous to WP8, but WP8 proper will be different and only for new hardware with different chipset, resolutions and features.

The sad truth is that the public in general is ignorant. The public in general are buying phones. Android and iOS have a foothold and apps that others think they "need"...i.e Pandora. WP has a better OS, hardware is good... But we need more than beautifully different, we need, no-one can touch our hardware, OS, and app selection. I realize this is a process, and I can't wait to see where we are in two more years. Releases like Apollo greatly benefit those of us who already have the best OS for phones out there, but that isn't going to bring that many more on board(converts). We really need to blow Android and iOS out of the water on all three fronts over the next 12 months. I love my new N900. I will love Apollo. I will love all of it more when we can say I told you so. But, this release will not be that moment. Hopefully it leads to that moment in the near future.

I don't see how its a question that MS will support new phones like the Lumia 900 with Apollo. Of course they have to because it would make no sense at all that they'd screw everyone who bought a new phone six months earlier. That would be the end of them.
Still, since they haven't said as much, some reviews of the 900 are staring a caveat that they can't fully recommend the 900 because of the upgrade ambiguity, and this is going to hurt sales. This is completely asinine of Microsoft for not clearing this up by just communicating. Bastards!

It IS a question because it doesn't matter how popular your phone is. My phone (Samsung Focus v1) was the most popular Windows Phone once! And it's been left in the dust for quite a while now. And it's only been a year and a half, it's completely abandoned on the upgrade chain.

When that happens to you, you may also begin to question the future of YOUR WP7 device. Will they stop caring about the hottest new WP7 phones when WP8 comes out? Time will tell. But yes it's possible, because it happened before.

It is a bit more complicated because Windows RT / Metro / Phone 8 is in many ways a new operating system that is different from Windows Phone 7. The phone may end up running the same code as slates/tablets and some simplified notebooks, all-in-ones, and ARM-based desktops.

Since the operating system is still in beta and unfinished, I can understand why it may be a while before they can guarantee existing phones are compatible with the new OS. But I do hope they can get it working with all phones.

I generally ignore most of the comments until I see yours or Edmonds' name because at least I know that whatever the previous comment was, it's at least interesting enough for someone intelligent to chime in... Not necessarily intelligent, but interesting. =P

I think that things will likely run in emulation mode so updates will happen but things will be slow and not all fetures will be add but I hope I am wrong because I want a Nokia Lumia (offf contracct) but I want to make sure it get the update to WP8

Great news if its true. But with my skeptic hat on, I will say that the hardware for WP8 launch phones should make any current WP7 sad. That includes the 900.
It's extremely likely at this point that the polycarbonate Lumia range will probably be refreshed into the S4 Snapdragons while the lower end Lumias will receive the love of NovaThor from ST-Ericsson. And the PureView camera tech might really bring the next Lumia up to where no man has gone before.

To be honest, they are going to have to make them upgradeable if they want developers to work on apps for wp8 ahead of release. I doubt they will want to seed that many devices just to avoid upgrading. This is the main reason I have felt confident thus far that at least a number of wp7 devices will be upgradeable. Until they lock the feature set and have oem support, though, I'm sure they are hesitant to publicly make such a commitment.

They are probably working with the carriers as well to make sure that they are going to push it out to existing customers so as not to cause a customer backlash if one carrier gets ut over another. I'm hoping that they have a mangoesque d day landings approach in mind for appollo and that all devices will get appollo in some form coz that will really show google how things should work.

EXACTLY. I'm not buying they will be updated. The Verge is pretty tight with industry insiders across all platforms. I would trust their source vs. regurgitated info from some Portuguese website (which has since pulled down the original Nuno interview).

It's pathetic that MSFT can't even look us straight in the face and say your phones will be updated to WP8. But your apps certainly will work. Even with the best positive spin, it's a 50% a chance and nothing more. CRAPSHOOT. Thanks MSFT, if I needed a handjob I'd ask for one.

For you lucky NL900 owners, you've been phucked. And the kiss was a $100 AT&T credit. Amazon will be getting some returns, deservedly so. Good luck with the ETF in the fall. Users who know better will own new hardware with CONTEMPORARY processors and hi-rez screens with a mobile operating system that will integrate seamlessly with Windows 8 and XBOX. But yeah, Nokia fanboys, you keep thinking your single core Lumia will get updated ;)

I know everyone is going to knock this as a "Troll" post but I challenge you to read on anyways.
I'd have to say that would be the kiss of death for Microsoft in the mobile market. If they don't (can't) upgrade 6 month old devices to the newest version of the OS (with no market share to speak of to start with) no will ever trust them on the OS again. After giving themselves kudos for Mango updates and how Specs don't matter because the OS is so smooth completely rewriting the OS and obsoleting every WP7 phone sold through the WP8 would signal the death knell for MS and Nokia. They are already behind the upgrade paths of iOS and Android so how is orphaning every single WP7 device going to help them. Everyone keeps thinking this next version/next device (Mango, Lumia, Tango, Apollo) will launch Windows Phone to some decent market share. I really thought my next phone would have been WP7 but couldn't pull the trigger on the token Trophy and right now there are quite a few apps that would keep me from switching - the longer I'm on an OS the harder it will be to switch - the new platform would have to be SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER (not just a little) to attract switchers. I remember all the years Mac OS was superior BUT Apple squandered that by keeping their equipment (and not just PCs - look at how long you required proprietary peripherals - printers, etc.) WAY TOO high. Finally, Windows got decent. Android (ICS) is now decent and is going to bet better. What about apps - will they still have backward compatability (probably) but what about going forward - are developers going to write apps for an orphaned OS (think WebOS) or for the new WP8 that could be used on the desktop (even Vista sold 200 million plus copies with new PCs in the first year), tablets (Windows 8 on ARM (WOA), laptops, etc. It's typical MS to avoid the question and my bet is they will do exactly that. Even the fans of WP7 (everyone on this forum) would have a hard time pushing the OS after a betrayal of this nature. While Android may be fragmented the newest OS (ICS) will run on fairly old hardware and the apps will still run on most older (2.0 and newer) versions of the software/hardware. I think Windows 7 will be to Windows 8 as Windows XP was to Vista on the desktop (lots of "downgrades" of individual/enterprise purchases of new PCs). And Windows 7 is an outstanding implementation of Windows (unlike XP which just eventually got there through longevity). I remember purchasing one PC and one Laptop with Vista and did nothing but basic stuff (Office, E-mail, Web) and both had problems. Got the Consumer Preview of Windows 7, bought 3 upgrades @ $50 each and haven't looked back since. Can't get into Windows 8 on the desktop, looking forward to WOA (they have some tough competitition with the iPad 2 @ $399 and Android finally putting out some decent stuff with ICS). They're WAY behind the competitition in the mobile space (especially giving Android so much time to fix itself up). Not sure they can just keep throwing money at it like they did with XBox.
The other thing is, how do they expect to get US market with devices on only the #2/#4 carriers and nothing in the pre-paid and regional carriers. Verizon bet the farm on Android and it's worked out great for them, LTE is maturing, they only took the iPhone after it was so successful they had to take it for retention purposes and bleeding the competition (ATT). Tell me how MS is going to get it's products onto Verizon (I don't think Verizon has any interest in WP7 UNLESS it becomes successful - chicken and egg). Sprint just bet the farm on iPhone ($20 Billion), has just come out with a new Flag Ship Android with LTE (Sprint EVO 4G LTE) and doesn't look like it's going to carrying any of the new WP7 phones, either.
Last points (at least on the sales side) - Did you know that Samsung has sold 5 million Galaxy Notes worldwide (supposedly a too big, niche 5.3" Phablet) which I believe is more than WP7 total. Nokia said they sold 2 million Lumias in the first quarter, lost a ton of market share and money and even this recent sell out of the 900 isn't going to be a huge number (compared to 850,000 Android devices/day and 400,000 iOS/day).
Where is the Windows Phone momentum going to come from?
Everyone says we need a third platform (the desktop has done just fine with two (94% Windows , 5% Mac, < 1% other)).
Would love to see WP7 get some traction but it's real hard to see where/how. Sorry for so much negativity.

@trivor What a long comment. You're wrong the Nokia lumia 900 will sell more than the note. Click on the Nokia lumia 900 at te AT&T website. It would say it's one of the most popular device bought at at&t and the website. The momentum is coming from north America and especially china. If it is a success, people in other countries want to buy that phone. And some what become popular. Just like the iPhone and the droid. No more trolling mate. We're pretty strict on that Lately. Did you the Nokia lumia 900 is the top 5 selling phone in amazon lately. It's just not fans buying them. It's also comsumers getting it. So wp's market share would rise or skyrocket to be the third major platform. (it will be by default. Have you seen RIM's stocks)

Not delivering Apollo to current phones would be the end of Windows Phone. I fell in love with it on the first announcement and bought my HD7 on launchday, but if Apollo really doesn't support current devices, and MS waits to tell us until after the Lumia launch, I'm outta here.

Who to believe? Maybe I should hold out on taking a WP7.5 device until some confirmation...This is bad for MS/Nokia. It'll stunt sales a bit from people "in the know" (normal buyers wouldn't know about it), and it'll make people think about their "old" devices in a negative way, like the iPad2/iPad 3 (New iPad) debacle.
Microsoft needs to clarify, and soon

Well, i think MS will push the apollo update and to 1st gen devices as they can't split it in 2 parts, devices running on windows ce core and those that will run on windows nt core, this will be irrational.

I don't understand how the industry needs MS to confirm the rumor. Ok, lets look at the logic.
1. MS not publicly confirming the rumors means more articles and free public press (helping WP to stay in the public eye).
2. They did the exact same thing with Mango. No one knew for certain if first Gen phones were going to receive the upgrade or not.
3. After it was publicly announce (Mango) next was the rumor that all apps were not going to work with first Gen phones (98%) did work due to a new SDK.

Come on people its going to work on previous Gen phones. This time around they stated that the apps would work first.

Lets say it doesn't work on first Gen phones. Why the hell would you stay on a first Gen phone anyways. If you are a techie You are going to get the best HW out there. If you are a casual owner you could get a second Gen phone for free. Finally, if you are one that got a first Gen phone since it was a 1 penny as a first timer to smartphones you won't give a crap if it has Mango, tango, or Apollo. Why?! You might ask, chances are you won't know better.